Water softeners are commonly used in residences and businesses to soften hard water; i.e., water containing minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. The water softening process causes ions of such minerals to be replaced by sodium ions on a continuous basis as hard water is supplied to the water softener from an external source. Because this process is continuous, the salt, which is normally kept in a bin adjacent to the water softener, must be replenished periodically.
Salt used in a water softening process typically takes the form of rock salt, evaporated solar salt, or salt pellets, which is typically sold in bags of various sizes. Based on the amount of salt used in a water softening process, even the smallest salt bags tend to be somewhat large, bulky and heavy.
Normally, when the salt is replenished, the homeowner must first purchase bags of salt, load the bag(s) into a vehicle, and unload and carry the bag(s) to the water softener which is oftentimes located on the lower level of a residence or a business. Each bag must then be opened, lifted and emptied into the salt bin. In addition to the fact that the salt bags are heavy, emptying them generally produces salt dust, which results from abrasive action between the salt pellets or evaporated solar salt during transport. This dust settles on the surrounding equipment and floor, leaving a dusty environment that is difficult to clean.
Alternatively, if the home owner uses a water softening service, the servicing personnel must load the delivery truck with numerous bags of salt sufficient for a particular route, and these bags must be unloaded, carried into the residence or business and emptied in the same manner. The fact that the servicing personnel must enter the residence or business means that the home owner must either be at home at the time of delivery, or must provide the servicing personnel with some means for entering the home. Many home and business owners are hesitant to do this, particularly where there is some degree of turnover in servicing personnel.